Part 1 – Give a Gift of Time

I was up in the night thinking and praying about many things and one of those things is what I wrote yesterday, which has now become Part 2 :). This is what came to me in the far reaches of the night.

Galatians 6:10 says, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

Who is in your household of faith? Do you have anyone who is living in a skilled nursing facility? Or anyone who is a shut in? Or anyone who you know is lonely? Well, I do and that person is my dad. Since the onset of the Coronavirus, my dad has declined so much that last week his nurse recommended that we start him on hospice. Yesterday, a hospice nurse went to visit him and afterward she called me and asked whether I think that my dad qualifies for hospice?” I told her that I wasn’t sure and that neither was my sister. We both had visited him over the weekend and yes, we see decline, but as we sat with him and visited one on one with him, he came out of his stupor of confusion. The hospice nurse said that she thinks my dad’s biggest issue is lack of interaction throughout his days and that he is struggling because he spends most of his days alone in his room isolated from everyone. No one converses with him. No one sits with him. No one holds his hand. No one hugs him. When he is out of his room for meals everyone is masked, shielded, and gowned. Our dad is extremely hard of hearing and has vision distortion due to severe glaucoma and the noise of every one talking who he can’t understand and seeing the masks all the time throws him into more confusion. Jennie and I have been the only ones allowed to visit with him outside. The facility has made a few exceptions to allow our husbands, children, and close family to visit over these last months, but this has been rare. Thankfully, this week my sister and I were cleared to be ‘essential caregivers’ and so we are both allowed visits inside with him in his room as long as we follow CDC protocol. We are each allowed to visit him two times per week for up to three hours, but it has to be on the same days and times each week. It’s all so hard and I think this virus situation is the most difficult for people like our dad.

If you know of someone like our dad who is part of your household of faith, I want encourage you to make it a priority to visit them every single week while you have the opportunity.  People like my dad are considered the ‘least of these.’ The Lord says that what we do unto the least of these, we have done unto Him.” Romans 12:13 says, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and show hospitality.”  What better way to contribute to the needs of the saints than by visiting someone like my dad on a regular basis.  We literally have thousands of individuals who, in the name of protection from this virus, are dying of loneliness.  Ask the Lord who He wants you to visit and give them the gift of time by contributing to the needs of these precious ones.

Part 2 – Give a Gift of Resources

This is what I wrote yesterday :)

One of the sweetest gifts that I ever received was given to me by my Aunt Sue.  She is the one who gave me the inspiration for this blog.  She gave this quilt to Paul and me on our 10th wedding anniversary and it hangs, to this day, in our living room.  What I love about it is that it is filled with scripture; one verse per month.  Since I seasonally decorate, it brings beauty to our home in every season.  What I remember most about this precious gift is the joy it gave my Aunt Sue’s when she gave it to us.  She was a cheerful giver!

II Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Gift giving at birthdays and Christmas, delivering meals to new mothers, giving to church, supporting missionaries, fulfilling practical needs like babysitting, housesitting, mowing lawns, house cleaning, paying it forward in the drive through lane at Starbucks are all ways to give.  Truly, the ways of giving are endless.  In all of it, the Lord loves when our giving is cheerful.  

I have observed that even though online giving is easy, it often feels impersonal; like just paying another bill.  Have any of you felt that way?   Well, Paul and I did not like that, and years ago we began setting aside a little money each month so that when specific needs arose in our church family we could contribute to those needs.  This giving is separate from our regular monthly online giving.  This kind of anonymous giving produces great joy; a different kind of joy than just giving generally to the church or to missionaries and it’s something we just love to do as much as we are able.  I think the reason why it produces so much joy is that it is specific to specific people meeting specific needs within the body of believers. 

Part 3 – Give and be a Romans 12:9-13 Person, by God’s grace.

Do you want your love to be genuine?  Do you want to abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good? Do you want to love one another with brotherly affection? Do you want to outdo one another in showing honor? Do you want to resist the temptation to be slothful in zeal?  Do you want to be fervent in spirit and serve the Lord?  Do you want to rejoice in hope?  Do you want to be patient in affliction?  Do you want to be faithful in prayer?  If you answered “yes” to these questions, then be a ‘doer of the word’ and contribute to the needs of the saints and GIVE cheerfully in all ways, but especially by giving of your time to the ‘least of these’ to people like my dad.

Blessings to you as you give,

Heather

When You Pray…

Each day: 

1. Pray for yourself.
2. Pray for you spouse.
3. Pray for your children.

Weekly:

Sunday – Government

Monday – Immediate Family

Tuesday – Your Church

Wednesday – Your Extended Family

Thursday – Your Spouse’s Extended Family

Friday – Your Friends

Saturday – Variety

Feel free to go back and review in more detail the weekly prayer points.

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